1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for the installation and removal of a cylinder of a printing machine and to a device, suitable for this purpose, for receiving a cylinder of a printing machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
A printing machine, in which the cylinder has a middle drum and two lateral bearing stubs which are capable of being secured releasably to the drum and of being connected to one another by means of a central spindle which passes through the drum and which, at least at one end, can be screwed, by means of a screw connection provided within the outer circumference of the spindle, to the adjacent bearing stub which, with the screw connection released, can be removed, together with its bearing housing, at least to an extent such that the drum is accessible from the side, is in the applicant""s possession. However, a suitable device for the installation and removal of the cylinders is not available. Hitherto, the procedure. in this case, has been to change the cylinder from above. In view of this, all the subassemblies arranged above a cylinder which is affected in each case have to be removed, so that a suitable lifting appliance can be inserted from above.
Proceeding from this, the object of the present invention is, therefore, to make it easier to install and remove a cylinder in a printing machine of the above-mentioned type. In accordance with the invention, the method for the installation and removal of a cylinder from a printing machine provides that the drum of a cylinder is released from the associated bearing stubs and one bearing stub is removed., after which the consequently exposed end of the spindle of this cylinder has connected to it, in the same way as the removable bearing stub, a spindle extension, onto which the drum is pushed, the spindle extension then being released from the spindle and moved away, together with the drum, and vice versa.
The device for installation and removal of a cylinder of a printing machine includes a spindle extension which when the bearing stub is removed, can be connected to the end of the spindle of a cylinder and which extension is provided with a screw-connection element corresponding to the screw-connection element of the removable bearing stub, the spindle extension having the same outside diameter as the spindle and projecting from a holder which is received on a carrier and can be manipulated on all sides.
The measures according to the invention advantageously make it possible to carry out a lateral cylinder installation and removal, utilizing the possibilities of the basic printing machine in a specific way, with the result that the disadvantages specified above are avoided completely. The result of using a multi-part cylinder with a middle drum releasable from the lateral bearing stubs and of the removability of at least one bearing housing, together with the bearing stub. is that, by a bearing housing, together with the bearing stub, being removed, a large orifice in the machine side wall is formed, via which the drum can be removed and installed. Access from above is advantageously unnecessary in this case, so that even all the subassemblies, including an upper machine cover, which are located above the cylinder affected call remain in position. The spindle extension capable of being coupled to the cylinder-side spindle ensures that the cylinder drum affected is guided reliably when it is passing though the orifice in a machine side wall produced by the removal of a bearing housing, so that collisions with the machine side wall and therefore damage are ruled out. At the same time, the spindle extension also makes it possible to absorb the weight of the drum reliably, so that the latter can simply be displaced by hand. A displacer is therefore advantageously not required. The carrier, receiving, the holder of the spindle extension serves advantageously for Involving the spindle extension uncoupled from the spindle. By means of the measures according to the invention, therefore, the above-mentioned object is achieved in the simplest and most cost-effective way possible.
The drum may advantageously be provided with sliding-bearing bushes to facilitate sliding of the drum on the spindle and spindle extension. This makes it easier for the drum to be displaced by hand.
A further expedient measure may be for the spindle and the spindle extension to be provided with a sliding covering formed e.g., by hard-chrome plating. This, too, makes it easier to displace the drum manually.
In a further development of the overriding measures, the spindle extension may have an outer carrying tube and a shaft which passes through the latter and which is capable of being, supported on the carrying tube in the axial direction and has, at its front end, a screw-connection element assigned to the screw-connection element of the spindle and, at its rear end projecting from the holder, an actuating element. These measures ensure that the outer carrying tube receiving the drum does not have to be rotated when it is coupled to and uncoupled from the spindle. A drum received on the carrying, tube therefore cannot impose any resistance to the coupling and uncoupling operation.
At the same time, a measure which is to be preferred may be to provide, at the front end of the spindle extension, a centering member which can be brought into engagement with an associated centering member of the spindle. This ensures that a continuous joint is maintained between the spindle and the spindle extension, thus making it easier for the drum to be transferred from one element onto the other.
Advantageously, the holder receiving the spindle extension may be provided with a blocking means assigned to the drum and expediently designed as a fall hook capable of being, brought into engagement into a drum-side groove. This ensures that the drum received on the spindle extension is secured reliably, which effectively prevents accidents when the entire drum-receiving device is moved by means of a suitable carrier, for example a lifting appliance.
In a further development of the overriding measures, the holder may be provided with connection means for a lifting appliance, in which case a plurality of connection means provided, for example, above the centre of gravity are expediently provided, said connection mean being offset laterally relative to one another. The connection means for a lifting appliance makes it possible to use an indoor crane, usually present, for moving the entire drum-receiving device. The connection means for a lifting appliance, which are offset laterally relative to one another, make it possible to carry out a selection, so that force can be applied exactly above the centre of gravity, thus increasing the degree of safety.
A further expedient measure may be for the holder to be provided with trip elements projecting obliquely downwards. This makes it easier to manipulate the holder suspended on a lifting appliance. In the state of rest, the grip elements projecting downwards may advantageously also function as set-down feet.
Further advantageous refinements and expedient developments of the overriding measures are specified in the remaining sub-claims and may be gathered in more detail from the following description of examples with reference to the drawing.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of the disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages, and specific objects attained by its use, J reference should he had to the drawing and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein.